Method and apparatus for reproducing sculptured objects



June 29, 1937. T. ToMozAwA 2,085,400

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REPRODUCING SCULPTURED OBJECT S I Filed June 15, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 3% m WM June 29, 1937, T. TOMOZAWA 2,035,400

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REPRODUCING SCULPTURED OBJECTS Filed June 15, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTbR. EY

June 29, 1937. "T. TOMOVZAWA 2,085,400

' METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REPRODUCING SCULPTURED OBJECTS Filed June 15, 1935 3 SheetsE-Sheec 3 ggliy'z 9 g 35 f? 36 L :4 a 31 '4 i .29 A a I5 39 P '7 g 30 29 {7 38 I6 I6 l0 /3 Q VIII/[LIA RNVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Juner29, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFic v assignor to Nippon Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, Japan, a corporation vJapan Application June 13, 1935, Serial No. 26,391

' In Japan August '7, 1934 9 Claims.

This invention relates to a method and appsratus for reproducing objects by sculpture.

One important object of the invention is to provide a novel apparatus utilizing stereoscopic pictures of 'an object for determining accurately the proper positioning of a sculpturing tool ar= ranged to act upon a block of .molding material such as clay or the like. I x A second important object of the inv'entionis to provide a novel apparatus for this purpose by which stereoscopic photographs of an object may be taken, developed and used for the determination of the positions of a sculpturingtool either in themselves or by positive transparencies printed from them.

A third important object of the invention is to produce a novel method of sculpture involving 7 the observation of stereoscopic photographs taken at several angles to a body to be reproduced and the determination of sculpturing points on a mass of sculpturing material from such observations. The present invention simplifies the complicated known method of having to photograph the entire periphery of an object and proposes a 25 method of making a statue easily and mechanicaily correct, by taking an instantaneous photograph, two mirrors being utilized to produce simultaneously, on a single plate, stereoscopic 30 photographic negatives of an object viewed from the front and from points to the, rear and sides at about 180 to the front view; The plate is developed and a positive transparency is printed therefrom and developed, the transparency be- 35 and observed through a binocular stereoscope.

At the same time an indicator point is positioned in place of the object which has been removed after photographing it. This indicator point has its image projected on the transparency by' the stereoscopic camera and is stereoscopically observed at the same time transparency is observed.

From these observations a sculpturing tool is.

ingthen placed in plate position in the camera Fig.'2a is a photographic transparency printed from the plate shown in Fig. 1a as it appears apparatus used herein, certain parts being broken away.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing a second form of the apparatus.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of certain parts of the apparatus at the indicator used herein.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of certain parts arranged for the manual control of the sculpturing tool.

In the drawings, the same reference characters denote the same parts. I

The following is a detailed explanation of this means, reference to be had to the accompanying drawings. I

If as shown in Fig.1 two mirrors b and c are disposed to the sides and somewhat rearwardly of an object a and a photograph is taken by a stereoscopic camera it, it will be possible to obtain a plate having front olirectimages (11,02 and the indirect images bi, be and c1, c2 reflected from the mirrors, on its left and right sides respectively as shown in Fig. in. Next, obtain a transparency a printed from said plate, fit it into the position formerly occupied by the plate in the camera 01. maintaining its original position and observe it with a binocular sterescope f situated the above transparency e will be joined together to form three apparently solid virtual images asybs, c3, as shown in Figure 20.. Further, as each device maintains its original position, said apparently solid virtual images appear as though the original solid object were still in the position from which it has how been removed.

' behind it, and then the left and right images on Therefore, it an indicator or mark point be 10- cated in the space formerly occupied by the object. to be reproduced, images of the indicator.

apparently solid virtual image by obmrving the images of the indicator through the binocular stereoscope. Accordingly, if a. sculpture is made by moving the point 0 over the apparent surface ofthe image and transmitting this movement of the point 0 to a sculpturing device, it will be possible to obtain a statue exactly'the same in appearance as the virtual image. According to this method not only can a sculpture corresponding to the forward part of the object be produced but the sides and back of the object may also be reproduced in the sculpture by observing the images of the indicator point reflected into the camera from the mirrors. Thus an exact reproduction of the object may be sculptured.

To explain the manner of these movements fully with reference to Fig. 20., when the real mark point 0 is moved to occupy a point previously coincident with a point on the object to be reproduced, for instance, a point on the cheek of a person whose bust is to be sculptured, the images of this point will appear, when observed through the stereoscope, as though at 0 in the front view as and at 01 and 02 on the side views In and 03 as reflected from the mirrors. Therefore, what the operator of the apparatus has to do is only to observe the image of the indicator point on an image of the object, through the stereoscope and shift the point in a certain direction according to the apparent position of the surface of the image of the object. The image of the point of the indicator may be caused to travel on the apparent surface of the image of the object, as seen through the stereoscope, to pass apparently entirely around the object, for instance, if the mark point 0 in the front image a: is observed and is shifted to the direction as indicated by an arrow along the surface of the image till it reaches the extreme edge I of the image, it-will'be apparently positioned at 2 in the image b3, so that it is necessary only to transfer the stereoscope to the image the stereoscope to the image 03, cause the image 02 to traverse the apparent surface of the image 03, shift the stereoscope to again observe the image as and cause the image of the indicator point to traverse the apparent surface of this image as back to the starting point. By this operation the point; has apparently moved entirely around the outer periphery of one horizontal section of the image of the object. Accordingly, if this movement is made in a helix of small pitch up and down the image, the mark point may apparently be moved to cover the entire apparent surface of the stereoscopic image of a statue. Since the movement of the image of the indicator point is produced by a corresponding movement of the indicator point itself, the apparent movement of the image of the point over the surface of the apparent solid image of the object is accompanied by a real movement of the indicator point itself over the surface of the space originally, occupied by the object to be reproduced. It will presently be observed that the operator controls the indicator .point and that this indicator is mechanically connected to a sculpturing or graving tool in such manner that the movement of the latter is correlated to the movement of the former.

Figure 3 shows an example of a simple apparatus for carrying this method into practice. d is a camera, and b and c are the mirrors both fixed to a base g. h is a device adapted for shifting the mark point 0; and 2' a sculpturing device associated with it. The point 0 is rotated in unison with a clay table a forming part of the sculpturing device, and in the same direction, by an electric motor m.. The point 0 also is moved up and down at slow speed together with a carving knife is forming a part of the sculpturing device. 1 is a binocular stereoscope disposed close to the back face of the camera (1 in such a manner that it can move freely in parallel with the latter. I is a handle with which the observer moves the point 0 radially with respect to the center of its rotation and this movement is transmitted by suitable means to the carving knife. In the above device, the photographing'of an object is performed after removing the upper portion of the mark point shifting device and placing the object so that its center is positioned substantially in the center of the rotation of the mark point, and the device is returned to the original position as. shown in the drawings, immediately after the photograph is taken.

The embodiment shown in Figure 4 is a device which by utilizing this method carries out continuously two kinds of spiral and vertical sculpturing movements, so that a very correct sculpture may be made by meshy tracing. 3 and 4 are rotatable shafts to be rotated selectively by an electric motor m by engaging a clutch n with one of the transmitting gears 5 or 6. The shaft 3 is so designed that it rotates not only the base a of the clay table at the sculpturing part 2' through a bevel gear' I, but also a vertical screw rod I0, adapted for moving up and down the supporting frame 9 of the carving knife k, by means of a short shaft 8, while the other end of said shaft 3 rotates a vertical rod l2 at the mark point moving device h through a bevel gear H and then rotates by a gear l3 at the end of said rod l2 a gear I6 which is engaged with a vertical screw tube l5 adapted for rotating the supporting frame M of the mark point 0.

The shaft l rotates not only a vertical rod ll extending through the said carving knife supporting frame 9 of the sculpturing device 2' through the gearing, but also at the mark point moving device It at the other end, a vertical rod l9 supported in parallel with the vertical screw tube l5, through a bevel gear it, so that by the gear 20 of said vertical rod IS a gear 2i (Fig. 5) adapted for moving up and down the screw tube I5 is turned. A hand wheel I for moving the mark point 0 and the carving knife 75 rectilinearly in a horizontal direction rotates a vertical rotatable shaft 23, which extends through the carving knife supporting frame ll, through a worm mechanism 22, a short shaft 25 through a worm mechanism 24 at the lower end of said shaft 23, a shaft 21 through the bevel gear 26 of said short shaft 25, and a tubular shaft 255' fitted in the screw tube l5 through a bevel gear the mark point 0, and as on this occasion the gear 20 and accordingly the gear H is kept motionless, the screw tube I5 is moved up or down, thereby moving the mark point spirally. Next, when the gear I3 is kept motionless and the gear 20 is turned, the tube is not rotated, but is moved only up or down by the gear 2|.

The movement of the mark point 0 in and out of the center of the vertical rotating shaft is made by rotating a shaft 3| fitted in the tubular shaft 29 in such a manner as to be slidable up and down freely and also to be rotated synchronously with and through said tubular shaft 29 by the rotation of the hand wheel I, and having its upper end supported by the frame l4, and by transmitting the rotation of said shaft 3| by a 5 suitable mechanism, for instance, a bevel gear 32, to a gear 33 meshing with a mark point supporting rack 34 supported by the frame It in such a manner as to be freely slidable horizontally. Figure 6 is a sculpturing device 1' associ- 10 ated with the above mark point moving device and is screwed along the rod I when the vertical rod ll remains motionless and the rod I0 is rotated (when the mark point makes spiral movement) and is kept motionless as the gear 35 supported by the frame 9 remains meshed with the gear 36 of the rod I'l, so that the frame 9 is moved either up or down with the rotation of the screw rod. On this occasion, the base i of the clay table being rotated in association with the mark point at the mark point device h, an object .upon it receives rotative movement. Next, when the screw rod H! is kept motionless and the rod H is rotated (when the mark point is moved up and down), the rod l1 will rotate the gear 35 meshing with a toothed wheel fitted to it in such a manner as to rotate and move vertically through the key and spline groove connection, whereby the frame 9 is moved up and down. The carving knife lc fitted slidably. to the frame 3 is moved in and out by the rack 38 meshing with the gear 38 of the shaftr23 which is rotated in association with the radial movement of the mark point 0. In the above device, when a sculpture is to be made by moving the mark point and carving knife up and down by the rotation of the shaft d, the normal and reverse movements are made alternately by changing the switch of the electric motor 112. at every change of the direction and the same time the base a and mark point 0 are 40 moved through certain angle.

According to this method, it is possible to make a sculpture without the addition of any hand or finishing work, by the observer simply moving theimage of the indicator point along the apparent surfaces of the three images in turn, and as an object may be photographed in the ordi-v nary way, it is possible to sculpture also the instantaneous condition of a moving body.

In the device disclosed herein, the stereoscopic image of the indicator point is caused to traverse in the spiral path of the apparent surface of the stereoscopic image of the object to be reproduced. Also, although the virtual images must be life size, a sculpture may be made in any suitable size by changing the ratio of the gearing connecting the indicator movements and the sculpturing tool movements. 4 I claim:

1. The method of reproducing objects plastically which consists in locating the object to be reproduced at a fixed station, exposing a sensitized plate to take a stereoscopic photograph of the object from a fixed camera to produce-a negative photograph, producing a transparent positive solid objects, an object, station, an arm adapted print from said negative, positioning the print in the place in the camera occupied by the plate when taking the photograph, substituting a uni versally movable indicator pointfor said object .7 stereoscopic image. and thereby actuating a I axis and to move it vertically along the axis, manually operable means to move said arm radially of said axis, a revoluble clay supporting table,

gearing connecting the table with the means rotating said arm, a sculpturing tool extending above said table and mounted to move vertically and radially with respect to said table, gearing connecting the means for moving said arm vertically with the tool and moving the latter vertically in unison with the arm,-and other gearing connecting-the tool with said manually operable means and moving the tool radially in unison with the radial movement of the pointer.

3. In apparatus for plastically reproducing solid objects, an object stationpan ,arm adapted to be positioned transverse to the vertical axis of said station, an indicator point carried by one end of said arm, means to rotate the arm about said axis and to move it vertically along the axis, manually operable means to move said arm radi ally of said axis, a revoluble clay supporting table, gearing connecting the table with the means rotating said arm, a sculpturing tool extending abovesaid table and mounted to move vertically and radially with respect to said table, gearing connecting the means for moving said arm vertically with the tool and moving the latter vertically in unison with the arm, other gearing connecting the tool with said manually operable means and moving the tool radially in unison with the radial movement of the pointer, and a motor drive for the means to rotate the arm and move it vertically.

4. In apparatus for plastically reproducing'solid objects, an object station, an arm adapted to be positioned transverse to the vertical axis of said station, an indicator point carried by one end of said arm, means to rotate the arm about said axis and to move it vertically along the axis, manually operable means to move said arm radially of said axis, a revoluble clay supporting table, gearing connecting the table with the means rotating said arm, a sculpturing tool extending above said table and mounted to move vertically and radially with respect to said table, gearing connecting the means for moving said arm vertically with the tool and moving the latter vertically in unison with the arm, other gearing connecting the tool with said manually operable means and moving the tool radially in unison with the radial movement of the indicator point, a motor drive for the means to rotate the arm and move it vertically, and a manually operable clutch for connecting and disconnecting the motor drive from the "iiieans driven thereby.

' 5. In apparatus for plastically reproducing 65 to be positioned transverse to the vertical axis of said station, an indicator point carried by one end of said arm, means to rotate the arm about said axis and to move it vertically along the axis, manually operable means to move said alrm radially of said axis, a revoluble clay supporting table, gearing connecting the table with the means rotating said arm, a sculpturing tool extending above said table and mounted to move vertically and radially with respect to said table,

gearing connecting the means for moving said arm vertically with the tool and moving the latter vertically in unison with the arm, other gearing connecting the tool with said manually operable means and moving the tool radially in unison with the radial movement of the pointer, and a motor drive for the means to rotate the arm and move it vertically, said motor drive including reversing gearing controlling the vertical direction of movement of the arm, and clutch means controlling said reversing gearing to cause vertical movement of the arm selectively up and down.

6. In apparatus for plastically reproducing solid objects, an object station, an arm adapted to be positioned transverse to the vertical axis of said station, an indicator point carried by one end vertically and radially with respect to said table,

gearing connecting the means for moving said arm vertically with the'tool and moving the latter vertically in unison with the arm, and other gearing connecting the tool with said manually operable means and moving the tool radially in unison with the radial movement of the pointer; in combination with photo-stereoscopic means producing an apparently solid virtual image of the object to be reproduced and a similar image or the indicator point with the images in cooperative relation whereby movement of the arm produces a corresponding movement of the image of the point.

'i'. In apparatus for plastically reproducing solid objects, an object station, an arm adapted to be positioned transverse to the vertical axis of said station, an indicator point carried by one end of said arm, means to rotate the arm about said axis and to move it vertically along the axis, manually operable means to move said arm radially of said axis, a revoluble clay supporting table, gearing connecting the table with the means rotating said arm, a sculpturing tool extending above said table and mounted to move vertically and radially with respect to said table, gearing connecting the means for moving said arm vertically with the tool and moving the latter vertically in unison with the arm, other gearing connecting the tool with said manually operable means and moving the tool radially in unison with the radial movement of the pointer, and a motor drive for the means to rotate the arm and move it vertically; in combination with photostereoscopic means producing an apparently solid virtual image of the object to be reproduced and a similar image of the indicator point with the images in cooperative relation whereby solid objects, an object station, an arm adapted to be positioned transverse to the vertical axis of said station, an indicator point carried by one end of said arm, means to rotate the arm about said axis and to move it vertically along the axis, manually operable means to move said arm radially of said axis, a revoluble clay supporting table, gearing connecting the table with the means rotating said arm, a sculpturing tool extending above said table and mounted to move vertically and radially with respect to said table, gearing connecting the means for moving said arm vertically with the tool and moving the latter vertically in unison with the arm, other gearing connecting the tool with said manually operable means and moving the tool radially in unison with the radial movement of the pointer, a motor drive for the means to rotate the arm and move it vertically, and a manually operable clutch for connecting and disconnecting the motor drive from the means driven thereby; in combination with photo-stereoscopic means producing an apparently solid virtual image of the object to be reproduced and a similar image of the indicator point with the images in cooperative relation whereby movement of the arm produces a corresponding movement of the image of the point.

9. In apparatus for plastically reproducing solid objects, an object station, an arm adapted to be positioned transverse to the vertical axis of said station, an indicator point carried by one end of said arm, means to rotate the arm about said axis and to move it vertically along the axis, manually operable means to move said arm radially of said axis, a revoluble clay supporting table, gearing connecting the table with the means rotating said arm, a sculpturing tool extending above said table and mounted to move vertically and radially with respect to said table, gearing connecting the means for moving said arm vertically with the tool and moving the latter vertically in unison with the arm, other gearing connecting the tool with said manually operable means and moving the tool radially in unison with the radial movement of the pointer, a motor drive for the means to rotate the arm and move it vertically, said motor drive including reversing l gearing controlling the vertical direction of movement of the arm, and clutch means controlling said reversing gearing to cause vertical movement oi the arm selectively up and down;

in combination with photo-stereoscopic means 

